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SSS 2010-03-02

时间：2010-05-20 03:29:42

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（单词翻译）

When an ocean liner starts taking on water, what governs whether it’s “women and children first” or “every man for himself”? According to a report in the Proceedings1 of the National Academy of Sciences, men’s altruistic2 versus3 self-serving behavior depends on how quickly the ship sinks.

 

On the evening of April 14th, 1912, the Titanic4 hit an iceberg5 and took nearly three hours to slip beneath the waves. Some 1,500 people perished. And the survivors6 tended to be female or young. The Titanic’s women were over 50 percent more likely to make it than were the males, and children had a 15 percent better chance of being rescued than adults.

 

But kids were not as lucky on the Lusitania, which three years later sank just 18 minutes after being hit by a German torpedo7. In this situation it truly was survival of the fittest, with healthy young males being the most likely to live to tell the tale.

 

While passengers on the Lusitania panicked and scrambled8 for survival, scientists say that those on the Titanic had enough time to override9 their animal survival instincts and do the chivalrous10 thing.

 

—Karen Hopkin
 


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1 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
2 altruistic hzuzA6     
adj.无私的，为他人着想的
参考例句：
  • It is superficial to be altruistic without feeling compassion.无慈悲之心却说利他，是为表面。
  • Altruistic spirit should be cultivated by us vigorously.利他的精神是我们应该努力培养的。
3 versus wi7wU     
prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下
参考例句：
  • The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
  • The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。
4 titanic NoJwR     
adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的
参考例句：
  • We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
  • The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。
5 iceberg CbKx0     
n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人
参考例句：
  • The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
  • The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
6 survivors 02ddbdca4c6dba0b46d9d823ed2b4b62     
幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
  • survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
7 torpedo RJNzd     
n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏
参考例句：
  • His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
  • Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。
8 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 override sK4xu     
vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于
参考例句：
  • The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
  • I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。
10 chivalrous 0Xsz7     
adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的
参考例句：
  • Men are so little chivalrous now.现在的男人几乎没有什么骑士风度了。
  • Toward women he was nobly restrained and chivalrous.对于妇女，他表现得高尚拘谨，尊敬三分。

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